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"Cross Training for the Summer"

By David Bluman

With the approach of warmer weather, I am often asked what the "BEST" exercise is to obtain results and prepare for the "bathing suit season". The answer is simple. There is NO best exercise. Employing a variety of exercises and activities is your best bet.

Having a variety helps stimulate your body and mind. Mentally, having a variety keeps you from having the "boring" same old, same old routine. Physically, variety employs various stresses (yes exercise is stress) on your body. These stresses placed on the body create improvement through adaptation.

When your body has to adapt, the more energy is required for that adaptation during the repair process. Once repaired you increase your lean muscle tissue. This translates into using more calories during adaptation, more calories at rest (called your Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR) and an improvement in activity and performance.

Each Program should incorporate as many of the below items as possible.

Always work on flexibility after activity when your body is warm. Make sure you rest. Your body repairs and adapts during your resting phase. MORE isn't BETTER, but some is better than none!!!!

About the Author:

David Bluman's website is www.ri-pt.com. David has written for ECA News For Fitness Professionals and has written on behalf of ECA as the fitness expert for LongIsland.com as well as several other online publications.

David is a Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor with ECITS, an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Continuing Education Provider. He has 18 years of training experience has worked in the physical therapy field in therapy exercise and specializes in post-rehab training. He has worked with North Shore University Hospital's Eating Disorder program as a Martial Arts Instructor and Trainer.

He is a Flexibility Technician from MPI in Active Isolated Stretching, holds 2 Black Belts, a teaching certification in the martial arts, and has developed and implemented programs for 3-5 year olds, adolescents, adults and ADD/ADHD children in both martial arts and fitness. He holds a Powerstrike Impact Kickboxing Certification and was certified through Town Sports Internationals foundations ( NY Sports Clubs).

He trained the 1991 Bally's Best of the Best Light Weight Bodybuilding Champion, the 1999 Eastern Atlantic States Fitness Overall Winner, the 2002 Natural NY States 2nd place fitness competitor, has consulted the 2006 NBI New York Fitness and Figure overall winner and pro competitor, The 2006 NPC Garden State Figure overall winner.

David oversees curriculum and program development for the East Coast Instructor Training School (ECITS) and has taught at educational conferences both nationally and internationally. He has Presented at the ECA Miami Sports Training and Fitness Conference 2002, MEFIT 2004 in Dubai, UAE, Fitness Turk in Istanbul, Turkey, 2005, and ECA NY 2006. www.ri-pt.com.